


Waiting

by Hogwartsowls



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 19:00:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4798790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hogwartsowls/pseuds/Hogwartsowls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life at Hogwarts isn't the same. Ginny struggles to lead the DA, stay out of the Carrow's way and is waiting for any news about Harry, Ron and Hermione. With help, she gets through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thanks to Hailey for being my beta.   
> Anything you recognize belongs to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K Rowling or "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" which was produced by Warner Bros.

"Have you heard anything?"

Neville fiddled with the knobs on the wireless and Lee’s voice lowered to an inaudible hum. “Nothing about them. Snatchers caught a group of Muggleborns again. I didn’t recognize any of the names.”

The common room was nearly empty. A couple of fifth year girls were doing their homework at one of the study tables. A heatless fire burned in the fireplace to provide the room with a bit of light. It was dark outside the windows.

Ginny sat down next to him on the sofa and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m worried about them.” She watched the two girls pack up their books and go up to the dormitories.

“I know, so am I,” Neville patted her on the arm. “I hope Dean and Luna are doing alright.”

Ginny nodded. When Luna hadn’t returned to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, she and Neville had started to get anxious. Dobby had been more than happy to try and locate her for them. When the house elf discovered that she had been imprisoned in Malfoy Manor with Dean, Ollivander and a goblin named Griphook, Neville and Ginny had started exchanging letters with them. Dobby would pass them along with some food, potions and blankets he had nicked from around the castle. They had considered using Dobby’s house elf magic to bring the four prisoners to Hogwarts, but the idea had ultimately been ruled out, deemed unnecessarily risky.

“Luna said Ollivander’s cough is getting better,” Ginny said quietly. “That’s a start.”

Neville sighed and turned up the wireless.

“ _That’s it for tonight, folks. This is River, signing off. Potterwatch will be back tomorrow night. Keyword is ‘Tweak’. Stay safe._ ”

“I wish we could write to Harry and Ron and Hermione.”

Neville wrapped his arm around Ginny’s shoulders. “I wish we could too. But at this point, no news is good news.”

“I know, I just want to hear _something_. Just to know that they’re safe,” Ginny said. She sat up and shrugged off Neville’s arm. “I think I’m going to head off to bed.”

“Alright. See you in the morning, Ginny.”

“Goodnight, Neville,” Ginny wrapped him in a quick hug before making her way up the girls staircase to her dormitory. Demelza Robbins and her other roommates were already in bed.

Ginny quietly slipped on her pyjamas and climbed into bed. The picture of Harry, Ron, Hermione and herself sat, as always, on her nightstand. The four of them waved; their dress robes immaculate. The tent where Bill and Fleur’s wedding took place billowed in the wind behind them. When the picture was taken, none of them knew the night was going to end with a Death Eater attack.

“Goodnight,” Ginny whispered to the photograph. “I love and miss you all. And for Merlin’s sake, stay alive.”

* * *

 

“Have you seen the _Prophet_ yet?” Neville asked the next morning at breakfast.

Ginny shook her head, swallowing her bite of toast. “Why, what’s in it?”

Looking around for the Carrows, Neville pulled a copy of the paper out of his school bag and presented it to Ginny. “Page four.”

Ginny quickly located the article. ‘Author Bathilda Bagshot Found Dead. Death Eater Activity Suspected’ read the headline.

“What am I supposed to be looking for?”

“Read the third paragraph,” Neville whispered. “But not now, Carrows are coming this way.”

Ginny stuffed the _Prophet_ into her robes and continued eating her breakfast. When the Death Eaters had passed she pulled it out again.

“ _’I saw a strange green light coming from the upstairs window,’ reported Godric’s Hollow resident Clifford Maxwell, 72. ‘There was a terrible shriek and lots of loud noise. Then, as I stood there watching, a young man fell from the window! A young lady tumbled out after him and then they disapperated away. If my old eyes weren’t fooling me – and I’m positive they were not – then I believe it was Harry Potter falling from that window!’_ ”

Ginny gasped and turned on Neville, wide eyed. “They were in Godric’s Hollow!? Do they even realize how risky that is?”

“I’m sure they have a perfectly good reason to be there.”

“Well, they’d better,” Ginny huffed. She got up from the table and slung her book bag over her shoulder. “Come on, class starts soon and I don’t want to get punished for being late.”

“Are we meeting after class today?” Neville asked, falling in step beside her.

“Yes, same place as always,” Ginny replied. “We have things to do.”

* * *

 

The next few days were relatively quiet. There wasn’t any more news about Harry on _Potterwatch_ or in the _Prophet_. Ginny and Neville led the D.A. in acts of rebellion against the Carrows and Snape. They were all gathered in the Room of Requirements again on the night of May 1st. Students were tending to each other’s wounds: mostly cuts, bruises and curse marks received during class or detention. A wireless was playing music softly. Suddenly, the doors flew open and Colin Creevy burst in waving a copy of the _Evening Prophet_.

“Harry broke into Gringotts!”

All noise in the Room ceased. Someone turned off the wireless.

“What do you mean Harry broke into Gringotts?” Ginny demanded. She dropped the cloth she had been using back into the bowl of Dittany.

“My aunt works at the Daily Prophet and she sent me an early copy of tonight’s issue,” Colin gushed. “It’s on the front page! ‘Harry Potter and Companions Escape Gringotts on Albino Dragon’.”

“Well don’t just sit there!” someone shouted. “Read the article!”

Colin flushed and cleared his throat. “ _’It’s something that has never before been done: Gringotts Bank has been broken into. Earlier this evening, our young hero Harry Potter and his trustworthy companions Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger snuck their way into the prestigious bank, retrieved something from one of the high security vaults and escaped on the back of a large white dragon. It is unsure exactly what was stolen. All that can be said at this time is that the trio entered Gringotts under a disguise, triggered a duplication charm in one of the vaults and set off the security spells. It is unknown why Gringotts was keeping a dragon inside. The Goblins declined a statement.’_ ”

General chaos ensued.

“They broke into Gringotts!”

“And escaped on a dragon! That’s so cool!”

“I wonder what they stole?”

“It must be pretty important if they risked their lives like that.”

“QUIET!” Neville yelled from where he was standing beside the wireless. “Potterwatch is on!”

“ _This is River and you’re listening to Potterwatch.” Lee’s voice announced from the speakers. “As you will all know in a matter of minutes, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have just broken into Gringotts Bank and have stolen an unknown object. The trio escaped on the back of a giant dragon that was being kept in Gringotts for undisclosed reasons. Here’s Rodent with more._ ”

There was a shuffling sound before one of the twins came on air. “ _I’m not Rodent. I’m Rapier. He’s Rodent._ ”

“I thought we agreed that I was going to be Rapier,” the other twin protested.

“ _Well, we can’t both be Rapier now can we?_ ”

“ _Can you get on with it?_ ” Lee interjected.

“ _Right, I’m Rapier and this news was just sent to us from an anonymous source. The curfew charms in Hogsmeade have just been triggered. Remember, since the Death Eaters are patrolling the streets, anyone leaving their house after sunset will be arrested. So stay at home, everyone._ ”

“Do you think it could be Harry?” Ginny asked Neville.

“It might be,” Neville answered. “Either way we should use the coins and have everyone come to Hogwarts.”

“Good idea. I’ll send out the messages.”

“ _And it’s that time of the night again ladies and gentlemen.” Lee said solemnly. “Our list of fallen has grown once again. Tonight we raise our wands to Gina Arnolds, Brian Cartwell, Joel and Sofia Duns –_ ”

There was a rustle of static before Fred or George took over the mic. “ _Terribly sorry, but this broadcast has to be cut short. Hopefully we will continue in the next few days. The next keyword is ‘Dragon’. Stay safe everyone._ ”

After a few moments, the portrait linking the Room of Requirements and the Hogs Head opened and Fred, George and Lee tumbled out, closely followed by Luna and Dean. Ginny let out a sigh of relief and raced over to greet her brothers and her friends.

“I’m so glad you’re all safe!” She exclaimed, hugging Fred and George at once. “Luna! Dean! You’re here! How are you here?”

Luna laughed as Ginny hugged her tightly. “Harry, Ron and Hermione rescued us from Malfoy Manor. They were captured by snatchers and brought to Bellatrix so the snatchers could get their reward. Bellatrix realized who they were and Ron and Harry were sent down to the dungeons with us while Bellatrix tortured Hermione. Dobby came and apperated Griphook, Ollivander, Dean and I out and came back to help Ron, Harry and Hermione. We’ve been staying with your brother Bill at Shell Cottage for the last two days.”

“Why didn’t you write to us?” Neville asked as he pulled Luna in for a hug of his own. He released her and clapped Dean on the back.

“We couldn’t,” Dean answered. “Dobby was killed by Bellatrix’s knife when he apperated Harry, Ron and Hermione out of Malfoy Manor.”

The room fell silent, taken aback by the sudden loss of Dobby. He had helped so many students send letters to their family – the Carrows had been monitoring the post all year. The sound of quiet footsteps reached Ginny’s ear and she turned to see Arianna Dumbledore standing in the portrait.

“Neville, look,” Ginny said, gently tugging on Neville’s sleeve.

Neville looked up at Arianna and she made a motion to follow her with her hand. She turned her back and walked a few steps, looking over her shoulder to see if Neville was following her.

“I’ll be right back,” Neville said. “You can keep helping these guys get patched up. I’m sure Abeforth just has some more provisions for us.” He opened the portrait and disappeared in the tunnel behind it.

Ginny turned to Fred and George. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in ages!”

George chuckled. “You saw us last month at Easter.”

Ginny smacked him on the shoulder. “I know, but it feels like it’s been longer. Now make yourselves useful and help heal some of these kids.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Fred said with a mock salute. He sat down next to a little second year and began talking softly to him.

Ginny turned her attention to a fourth year Hufflepuff with a large bruise across his shoulder. She located some bruise salve and applied some before moving on to another student.

“How were Bill and Fleur?” Ginny asked when Luna sat down next to her.

“They were well,” Luna replied. “Lupin came to visit while we were there. Tonks has had the baby.”

“Really?” Ginny asked excitedly. “What did she have?”

“A little boy. His name is Theodore Remus Lupin. They’ve named Harry the godfather.”

“That’s wonderful,” Ginny said with a smile. “Harry will be a wonderful godfather.”

Just then the portrait open and Neville stepped out with a wide grin on his face. “Look who I found.”

He moved out of the way and a disgruntled Harry, Ron and Hermione stepped out of the tunnel. They smiled sheepishly and waved to the group of people gathered.

Ginny drank in the sight of them. Hermione’s bushy brown hair was limp and wet, her pink sweatshirt dirty and there were holes in her jeans. Ron’s face and arms were littered with cuts and bruises, his red hair longer than Ginny had ever seen it before. And Harry, the one person she’d been waiting  
so long to see again. His glasses were cracked, his clothes ripped and his hair in messy black tendrils around his brilliant green eyes. His mouth was pressed into a hard line but when he caught sight of Ginny, the line softened.

“Harry,” Ginny breathed.

And then she was running at him. His arms opened and she sank gratefully into them, feeling them wrap around her tightly. Her own arms held onto him with strength she didn’t know she still had left. Ginny rested her head against his shoulder and when she opened her eyes, the fabric of Harry’s shirt was a damp.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Ginny whispered.

Harry pressed a kiss to her hair. “I’m glad you’re safe too, love. So, so glad.”

“She hasn’t seen me in nearly nine months and all she wants to see is Harry,” Ron muttered sourly to Hermione.

“Harry’s all she can talk about,” Seamus said cheekily.

“Shut up, Seamus.”

Ginny reluctantly retracted from Harry’s embrace and hugged her brother tightly. “I missed you too, you great prat. You too, Hermione,” she added, drawing Hermione into a hug as well.

“What can we help you with, Harry?” Neville asked.

“We’re trying to find something that’s hidden in the castle,” Harry said. “It may help us defeat You-Know-Who.”

“What is it?”

“We don’t know.”

“Where is it?” Dean asked.

“We don’t know that either,” Harry replied. “I realize it’s not much to go on.”

“That’s nothing to go on,” Seamus stated.

Harry shook his head and glanced around the room. “It’s something to do with Ravenclaw. It will be small, easily concealed. Anyone have any ideas?”

From the back came a small voice. “Well, there’s Rowena Ravenclaw’s lost diadem.” The crowd parted and Luna stepped forward. “It’s quite famous. Is that what you’re looking for?”

“What the bloody hell is a diadem?” Ron asked.

“It’s sort of like a tiara,” Cho replied. “But it’s lost. It has been for centuries. There isn’t anyone alive who’s seen it.”

“There’s a statue of Ravenclaw wearing it in the Ravenclaw common room,” Luna said. “I could show it to you, Harry. Maybe that’s what you mean.”

Harry hesitated and Hermione rounded on him. “He’s on the move, Harry. We need to find it as quickly as possible and get out of here. Go with Luna. We’ll stay here.”

Harry nodded and followed Luna out of the Room of Requirements. Ginny sighed and turned back to Ron and Hermione. “Why exactly is this so important?”

“We can’t tell you?” Ron said.

“Why not?” Ginny demanded. “I want to help!”

“It’s extremely dangerous,” Ron said. “And Dumbledore left it up to us. We can’t tell anyone.”

“It’s alright, Ginny,” Neville said. “We can help in other ways. Collin just sent out the alert to the Order. They should be here any minute.”

There was a pause then a voice called out “Did you really break into Gringotts?”

Ron grinned. “We sure did. Rode a dragon too.”

“Wicked!”

“Ronald Weasley, you had better not have broken into any bank,” came Molly Weasley’s voice from the secret tunnel.

Everyone turned to watch as the Order of the Phoenix made their way into the Room of Requirements. Molly and Arthur were leading the group, followed by Bill and Fleur, Remus and Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Molly rushed at her son and Hermione and pulled them both into bone crushing hugs.

“I can’t believe you! On the run like that, you could have been killed! Don’t you ever do that again, do you hear me!?”

“Mum, you’re squishing me,” Ron grumbled. However, he held his mother close and didn’t let go.

When Molly finally released Ron, she surveyed the room. She gasped when she saw the state of some of the students and began bustling around healing cuts and bruises and cruse marks as best she could. Fleur and Remus joined her in her efforts.

Arthur made his way over to Ron and Hermione. “You both are still alright? You all have your wands?”

“Not our actual ones,” Ron answered. “I nicked this on off a Snatcher a while back and Harry won Malfoy’s off him at Malfoy Manor the other night. Hermione’s the only one who has her own wand.”

“You were at Malfoy Manor?” Arthur asked, aghast.

“It’s kind of a long story,” Ron said sheepishly. “You see, we were sort of caught by Snatchers…”

Just then, the doors opened and Harry and Luna re-entered the Room of Requirements.

“Harry,” Remus said with a small smile. When he saw Harry’s determined expression his demeanour changed. “What’s happening?”

“Voldemort’s on his way,” Harry replied. “They’re barricading the school, the younger kids are being evacuated and everyone’s meeting in the Great Hall to get organized.” He took a deep breath. “We’re fighting.”

There was a great roar of approval and Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix made their way out of the Room. Wands were already at the ready, determination on everyone’s face.

Harry made his way over to Ron, Hermione and Ginny. “The Diadem is in the Room. I saw it last year when I hid the Half-Blood Prince’s book. We need to get everyone out of here so that we can access the Room of Hidden Things.”

Together the four of them ushered everyone out of the Room. Molly was waiting for them outside when they emerged.

“Ginny you need to go home,” Molly said sternly.

“What! Mum you can’t make me! I’m part of Dumbledore’s Army!” Ginny protested.

“You are sixteen years old, young lady! I will not have you here fighting.”

“I can’t just sit at home and wait! My whole family is here!”

“Ginny,” Harry said gently. “Please. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Ginny turned to Harry. “I can’t go home. I can’t just sit there and not know. I need to be out there helping them.”

“Then stay here,” Harry said, earning a glare from Mrs. Weasley. “But stay in the Room.”

Ginny turned to her mother.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. “Alright, but so long as you stay in the Room. You do not leave at all.”

“Thank you, mum!” Ginny said, hugging Molly tightly. Then she turned on Harry. “You, Harry James Potter, better stay safe. You’re not allowed to die, you hear me?”

Harry hugged her tightly. “I won’t, I promise.” He looked over at Molly, Ron and Hermione who were looking on. He pulled away and Ginny looked up at him. “I love you,” he said sincerely before covering Ginny’s lips with his own.

Ginny whimpered and wrapped her arms around Harry anew. She clung to him tightly, pressing back hard against his lips. She never wanted to stop. She didn’t care that they were in the middle of a war, or that her mother and Harry’s best friends were watching them kiss. All she cared about was the boy in her arms, the pounding of their hearts and the electricity that crackled where ever they touched. She’d been waiting nearly nine months for this moment and she wasn’t going to let it go so quickly.

When Harry finally drew away, his lips and cheeks were bright red, his eyes nostalgic. He pecked her quickly on the lips. “Stay safe.” Then to Ron and Hermione, “we need to get into the Room of Hidden Things as soon as we can. Now preferably.”

Ron merely nodded, still a bit stunned at seeing Harry and Ginny kiss.

“We’ll be quick,” Harry added, to reassure Mrs. Weasley. “No more than five minutes.”

And with that, Harry, Ron and Hermione disappeared through a door that hadn’t been there a second ago.

Ginny visibly sighed, her shoulders slouching, before turning to her mother. Molly smiled a small smile.

“You stay put. I need to go and see what needs to be done. When those three come back you make yourself a room and lock yourself in it. Someone will come to find you when everything is over and done with,” Molly drew her daughter in for yet another hug and pressed a kiss to her brow. “We’ll come back for you, sweetheart. Each and every one of us.”

 

* * *

It all happened so quickly Ginny could barely string the events back together into a coherent story. After her mother left, she had waited for Harry, Ron and Hermione to return. However, the Death Eaters had other plans. One of them broke through the window near where Ginny was waiting and she was suddenly engaged in a grueling battle – she won with a very powerful Reducto that blasted both the Death Eater and the wall behind him.

After that it was one battle after another. She threw curses and hexes, helping the Light side gain the advantage in small combats. She ran into a few members of her family, they were surprised and disappointed to see her, she could tell, but there was no time to tell her off.

She was so tired she could barely stand. She was running on pure adrenalin – her brain focusing on the fight and the spells and the Death Eaters to keep her distracted from the increasing fatigue. Everything was a jumble in her brain: Harry being called out by Voldemort, the Great Hall in ruins and filled with the fallen and injured, Fred, Harry who was dead but wasn’t, the truth and the end. They were all fragments, as if she were watching a disjointed Pensive memory. It was pain and tears and blood and sweat. It was grief and elation and death and life. It was the end and the beginning at the same time.

And then Harry was there, and his face was covered in cuts and his clothes were in rags but he was here and he was breathing and he was kissing her like his life depended on it. And Ginny decided right then that in that moment, his life probably did.


End file.
